BTS NEWSLETTER May 2011 Volume 9, Issue 2 www.btsociety.org www.tanzdevtrust.org

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A Warm Welcome for Antony Shaw in Dar es Salaam In the last issue, we welcomed Willie Fulton as Chair of BTS in the UK. Now we are able to warmly welcome Antony Shaw as the new Secretary of the Tanzania Chapter, BTS (T). Antony takes over from Nancy Macha, who has held the fort since Prudence Eliapenda stepped down to pursue her theological training. We are grateful to Nancy and Pru for all their work over the years, and hope that Antony will enjoy his new tasks. Members visiting Tanzania may like to make themselves known to Antony, contact him at PO Box 105742, Dar es Salaam, Tel: +255684355867. His email address is: antony@creocomm.net

Muhimbili Hospital Donations Dar es Salaam’s Muhimbili University of Health and Allied Sciences (MUHAS) Lecturer, Mr Dickson Mkoka (centre), demonstrates how to rescue an unconscious patient during the handover of various hospital equipment and goods from the Britain-Tanzania Society (Tanzania chapter). Looking on are Hon. Paul Rupia (Chair, BTS-T, left), British Airways Commercial Manager, Ms Saada Juma, and MUHAS Head of Clinical Nursing Department, Ms Lilian Mselle (right). Photo by Robert Okanda

DSM Reception, 31 March Enthusiastic reports have been received of a reception for BTS members and others, funded by the British High Commission in Dar es Salaam and ‘hosted / chaired’ by Danny Mwasandube. Amongst the 150 or so attendees were former President of Tanzania (and President of BTS), Mzee Mwinyi, Sir Ande Chande and many members of BTS (T). Andrew Coulson and Valerie Leach of the UK Chapter Committee were in Tanzania at the time and also able to attend. The reception gave members an opportunity to network with senior members of the British High Commission, members of the business community and representatives of the voluntary sector. See page 3 for Andrew Coulson’s report of the event.

The Marcuses on Tour During January and February, Julian Marcus, Chair of the Britain-Tanzania Society’s TANZANIA DEVELOPMENT TRUST, and his wife (and BTS member) Ann Marcus set out to visit forty different projects throughout Tanzania. Their route took them to just about every region of the country, discovering for themselves what BTS is achieving for the people of Tanzania. It would have been a bit of an epic journey, even for a gap year adventure by someone a third their age. Julian has furnished reports of what they saw which you can read later in this Newsletter. He is anxious to point out that the opinions expressed are not official BTS/TDT policy but their own. “Only someone very naïve would form firm conclusions based on one month’s visit,” he says, “especially since our Kiswahili is very limited. However, we offer some impressions, which have also been informed by previous visits and the astute comments of project partners and members of BTS-TZ.”

Contents 2 – 3 Notices and News 4 – 5 TDT current projects 6 Feature - Focus on Beans 7 NGO News: Sashita, Azar 8 – 10 Water, Babies and Maize Mills - Three TDT Projects in detail 11 Books and Media 12 Seminar Report – HIV and Health 13 Obituaries and Notices 14 Back Page – Contacts and Karibuni to new members

BTS NEWSLETTER Notices and News PAGE 2

Saturday 14 May 2011, SOAS BTS Seminar in the Khalili Lecture Theatre, 10.30am to 3pm. The topic will be education, including vocational and technical education. Speakers – Mike Kiernan former adviser on education in Tanzania and William Fulton, BTS and the Mango Tree Orphan Programme, Kyela. Together with CAS at SOAS, BTS plans to hold seminars both on Saturdays and in the evenings mid-week in future. We hope that the mid-week sessions will encourage politicians and academics to attend who find it difficult to participate on Saturdays. We will send out announcements in future by e-mail. If you would like to receive a postal invitation, please write or telephone Valerie Leach, address: 12A South Grove, London N6 6BJ; telephone 0208 340 5344. _______________________________________________________

BTS Scotland BTS Scottish Group members, under the Tanzania Scotland Network, plan the following African-related events in Edinburgh. An impressive programme indeed! 9 May Film: Holiday (1938) at Dominion Cinema for Children of Songea. 28 May Grand Ball for SASHITA 19 Jun Tea Dance for Children of Songea 25 Jun TzScotland Network meeting hosted by BTSS [11am- 1pm at the Music Room, Out of the Blue Drill Hall, Dalmeny St, Edinburgh. All welcome] For more details of upcoming events contact Ann Burgess [annpatriciaburgess@yahoo.co.uk]. The projector donated by BTS was/will be used at most of these events. ______________________________________________________________

Scottish Dance On March 19th The Tanzanian High Commissioner was treated to a display of Scottish Country Dancing, courtesy of a group from the Boggs Country Dance Club in East Lothian. It was H.E. Mr Peter Kallanghe’s first visit to Scotland and after a week of visiting dignitaries, charities and other groups, a party was held in his honour in Edinburgh. The Boggs Group did three dances; a jig, the Luckenbooth Brooch; a reel, the Reel of the 51st Division; and a strathspey which was composed especially for the occasion by Boggs Dance Club and BTS member Jennifer Sharp. The dance describing the letters BTS, standing for the Britain Tanzania Society, has quickly become a favourite with the Boggs group. Anyone wanting instructions, please ask! Jennifer Sharp

28 May - Grand Ball for Sashita The trustees of SASHITA

request the pleasure of your company at the first SASHITA GRAND BALL

To be held on Saturday 28th May in the splendid 'James Watt 2' Hall of Heriot Watt, Riccarton Campus. Dress in your finest as befitting this special occasion - an evening of Scottish and

Tanzanian fusion. Entertained by various musical groups including

renowned dance band HEARTS INDUSTRY, welcoming drinks reception, delicious three course dinner, half bottle of wine per person, and coffee.

(optional overnight accommodation can be negociated by calling Riccarton directly on 0131 541 3115). Tickets cost £50 per person available

from Lesley Lynch, 318 Oxgangs Road North, Edinburgh, EH13 9NE, Tel 07944 516 517

28 May, 7.30 pm. West Road Concert Hall, Cambridge: Concert. This concert by the Haffner Reed Trio with Kathryn Stott, piano, aims to raise awareness of responsible woodwind instruments made from sustainably harvested Tanzanian blackwood. It marks the culmination of the Comic Relief-funded Sound and Fair campaign to realise a sustainable trade in African blackwood. The world’s first FSC-certified woodwind instrument made by Hanson Clarinets will be showcased at the event. Kathryn Stott (pianist) says: “In these times, there really is no need for the local people in Tanzania to be suffering from poor working conditions. Musical instruments bring great joy to performers and listeners alike – let’s share that with the people who are at the very source. Tickets £15, £10, £5 from 01223 357 851 ________________________________________________________

Email addresses - reminder Have you changed yours? If so, please contact Membership Secretary Ann Brumfit so that she can keep the Society’s records up to date. ________________________________________________________

AGRA Alliance This organisation’s website has some very good stories on supporting smallholder agriculture in TZ. See: www.agra-alliance.org/ Former UN Secretary-General and Chair of the Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA), Kofi Annan argues that a uniquely African, smallholder-led Green Revolution will mean Africa can banish hunger, tackle poverty and stimulate business growth – and help feed the world.

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Dar es Salaam Reception, 31 May Andrew Coulson writes, “It was great to see not only senior Tanzanians but the Deputy British High Commissioner (Suzie Kitchens), Head of the Political Section (Mark Polatajko), the newly appointed deputy head of DFID in Tanzania (Ros Cooper), the Country Director of the British Council in Tanzania (Sally Robinson), and numerous reps from the private and voluntary sectors. The Tanzanian Chapter were there in numbers. Danny was an excellent host, and I am sure was delighted to see such as wide range of people in one room. It is part of a process of widening interests and involvement by the Tanzania Chapter.

Ros Cooper said that the DFID budget for Tanzania will be more next year - less for budget support, but more for the private sector and NGOs - all to be administered with fewer staff. When I mentioned that £5K would make a big difference to a particular project (nothing to do with TDT), she was a little taken aback because they deal in sums of money 100 times as big (or 1000 times, or sometimes 10,000 times!) I told her that the BTS membership including 800 in the UK had a great deal of expertise, and could provide answers to many technical questions relatively quickly if asked. As you can see there are a lot of issues here. But a reception is not the easiest place to keep focussed.” Andrew is happy to discuss issues raised with interested members.

BTS Posts to Fill – Can YOU help? We need successors to the present incumbents of the important posts of Executive Secretary and Treasurer. Please contact the Chairman if you can offer a little time to keep your society running with its customary efficiency! Tanzanian Affairs: David Brewin is also seeking to recruit deputy editors, especially anyone with a specialist in interest in the fields of Education and Health.

Learn Swahili Following our recent request for information, Donovan McGrath (Co-Editor Tanzanian Affairs) writes that he currently teaches a beginners’ course in Swahili at Hackney Community College in Shoreditch, London. Please contact him more information. Donovan is co-author of Jifunze Kiswahili Colloquial Swahili: The Complete Course for Beginners (Paperback), published by Routledge. In All Good Book Shops!

Africa through a Lens - early photos from the National Archives

The National Archives at Kew are putting an enormous collection of early photos from Africa on line. They see this as just a start and hope that by publishing them on the web they can gather more information. Anybody who knows anything more about a picture than the caption tells (often very minimal labels or none at all) is invited to add comments or get in touch. http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/africa/ is the relevant section of the National Archives website. From here you get to the main exhibition of photos, via a page from which you can chose which you’d like to look through by country. The Tanzania link contains one of the larger collections with 337 photos. Photos are, within reason, copyright free. See: www.flickr.com/photos/nationalarchives/sets/72157625849884949/ The example at the top shows Dar es Salaam Boy Scouts cleaning a (black!) Morris Minor during “bob a job” week (are any of these lads now BTS members?) Inevitably there are also many official-looking portraits (such as Sir Edward Twining right) and group photos taken at various events.

See also back page. Thanks to Jane Fleming for bringing this to the Editor’s attention.

TDT Website – The site has now been updated: see www.tandevtrust.org

BTS NEWSLETTER TDT News PAGE 4 Thanks to your support and that of other generous donors and bequests, the TDT Committee made a number of new grants at its February meeting:

DODOMA REGION TDT is beginning an exploratory partnership with Voluntary Service Overseas. TDT is contributing £1500 to VSO’s work. The VSO volunteer is likely to be working in Health or Education. In the future, we hope to be able to recommend placements to VSO depending on where we perceive a need, based on visits by project officers to our projects. We should also like to recruit more returning VSOs to be members of BTS/TDT.

IRINGA REGION Tools for Self-Reliance £4560 This project aims to improve the socioeconomic standing of members of 90 existing artisan groups in the Iringa and Ruvuma regions, through the provision of quality vocational, business and life skills training. Each participating group will be provided with a 15 day training programme to provide the skills and knowledge needed to enable the groups to improve the quality and marketability of their products whilst also making them more business orientated and able to improve and sustain their livelihoods. In addition each group will receive a kit of tools which will enable them to meet increases in production, to diversify their product range and to offer employment opportunities to others as their businesses grow.

KAGERA and KIGOMA REGIONS £4800 Last year we funded the excellent NGO, Read International, to restore a school library in Lindi region. This year we are funding two more library ‘restorations’ which will include the provision of solar power installations. Kibeta Secondary is a new school which has opened on the fringe of Bukoba Town. It has no library and this venture will convert and equip a library for the students. KIVIDEA is an outstanding youth

project in Kigoma Town and 14 rural out-stations. It has a small library with pamphlets but no books left. The

new installation will greatly improve provision and hopefully the solar power will make the use of multi-media resources.

KIGOMA REGION £3550 Basanza dispensary below serves a village population of 8645. The Dispensary has 12 rooms which will all be lit and 4 outside lights will be provided. Sockets will be fitted for a DC refrigerator and 5 watt microscope. The 2 solar panels will be roof mounted and are an industry standard Kyocera multi-crystal type. The installation will enable use of the Dispensary at all hours, refrigerated storage of medicines, microscope examination of samples, as well as charging basic medical equipment and mobile phones. Total cost is £5180 of which the local NGO will contribute £1630.

PEMBA £3799 Mijini Kiyuu is a village with a population of 2600 adults in the north of Pemba, dependant on fishing, agriculture, seaweed harvesting etc. The nearest Primary School was over 3km away and on the other side of a steep valley which floods in the rainy season. The local community enlisted the help of PEZEA, a registered Pemban NGO (since 2005) to help. Thanks to PEZEA’s support they now have a state primary school which has 396 children and 6 teachers. At the moment there are only 2 completed classrooms, so the school works separate morning and afternoon shifts. PEZEA and the local community built up to lintel level a further 5 classroom block and sought a grant from TDT to complete the construction. TDT agreed to support the project in 2 tranches; the first was paid in December 2010. Julian and Ann Marcus visited in February 2011 and were impressed with the work achieved and this grant is to complete the rooms.

BTS NEWSLETTER TDT News PAGE 5 MOROGORO REGION £5500 Lihami Village Study Hall. This is a project to develop an after school learning centre for secondary pupils in secondary schools in the ward. The Street Study Hall and Library at Lihami village would be open 4.00 pm to 8.00 pm daily. The building is under construction – financed by some donors from the USA and the villagers themselves – and is expected to be substantially completed by the end of February 2011. Members of the Valenova Trust will supervise the centre. Undergraduates from the village will also work as volunteers during their holidays when the facilities are available. Our grant is for the electricity supply and wiring, furniture, library shelving, books , a photocopier and support for Computers4Africa, which is supplying 28 computers, printer and scanner.

RUKWA REGION £4985 RECOSO Sustainable Tree Nursery. Our grant is to enable the Rukwa Environmental Conservation Society (RECOSO) to establish a tree nursery to provide income for rural communities and at the same time help to reduce deforestation of the Matai area of the Ufipa Plateau in Sumbawanga area. There has been deforestation in the area caused by the need for fuel. This is a relatively remote area and in a poor region. Trees will produce a source of firewood without causing rural degradation and provide income for local families. Beneficiaries 10 women's groups - 321 women; 175 subsistence farmers; 7 disabled people; 3 primary schools and one secondary school. The grant will purchase seeds, pesticides and polythene tubes. The community members will raise the trees and within a few years will be able to harvest the trees for fuel wood for their own consumption and for sale.

MBEYA REGION £4180 Jifunzeni in Social Services Promotion (JSSP). This is a social service organisation which has set up an F.E. and Adult Education Institute for young people (including AIDS orphans) who cannot gain access to local secondary schools and for adults . TDT made a small initial grant which was very well used to help build laboratories and we have now

approved the request for a further £4,150 to complete the building of these labs. WE are also working with La Aid Trust to provide equipment.

This year has been one of remarkable success for TDT, but largely because we received a large legacy. Each one of these projects will improve the lives of Tanzanians. Each one makes a real difference. We shall not be able to go on funding projects at this rate unless we can improve the flow of funds. If you can help, please do. Remember, TDT spends nothing on administration, fund-raising or travel. Every pound given is spent on projects in Tanzania.

Julian Marcus

You made it ! Congratulations and thanks to Catherine Brennan and her brother James on reaching the summit of Kili, and raising (so far) £1720 for TDT. On her “Just Giving” page, Catherine wrote: On 3rd February 2011, along with hundreds of people from around the globe, we set out on our adventure to climb Kilimanjaro. Climbing this vast mountain is a once in a life time experience and we have both decided that what better motivation to reach the summit is knowing that for each moment of exhaustion, anguish and doubt there will be a number of children in Tanzania that will benefit from our achievement. Provisionally, Catherine’s donation will go to the Hadassa Montessori Nursery School near Moshi. Last year TDT funded 2 new classrooms. The building work is now being completed (they are currently working on the roof) and they have expressed a need for funds for basic furniture and teaching materials.

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Beans and molecules: bringing modern plant breeding technology to a Tanzanian bean breeder

The common bean is a native of the Americas, but has been present in Africa for at least 400 years. Over the course of time, like its similarly American cousin maize, it has become a principle component of the East African diet. Beans are assumed to have been brought to Africa by Spanish or Portuguese traders, and were then acclimatized to African conditions by local farmers; over the years, these farmers maintained a bewildering array of varieties, which in turn spawned an equally bewildering range of consumer preferences for particular colour and shaped beans. The yielding capacity of these local varieties has not, however, been able to keep pace with the pressures on demand driven by the increasing pace of urbanization and population growth. As a result there has been a recognition that they need to be replaced by more high yielding, disease resistant ones.

Plant breeding is said to be half science and half art, but this is (increasingly) only a half truth. Ever since the explanation of the basis of inheritance given by Mendel about 150 years ago, and especially since the discovery of its molecular basis (i.e., DNA) by Watson and Crick in the 1950s, plant breeding has become much more a science than an art. In the developed world, the breeding of all the major crops (like wheat, maize, soybean etc.) relies on a sophisticated technology base, largely built around the means to detect differences among individuals in their DNA sequence. Meanwhile, in Africa, still awaiting its own version of the “Green Revolution” which brought food self-sufficiency to much of Asia in the 1960s, this so-called “molecular technology” is largely absent. The reasons for this lack reflect a familiar combination of financial constraints, inadequate infrastructure, governmental lack of awareness and under-developed human capacity. But the situation is changing, in particular thanks to the efforts of the charitable sector.

The Kirkhouse Trust (www.kirkhousetrust.org) is a small, but very focussed UK charity active since around 2005 at Sokoine University of Agriculture in Morogoro (as well as at other centres across East Africa). The Trust's founder is Ed Southern, formerly a professor of biochemistry at Oxford

University, whose inventiveness was responsible for the lucrative patent which provides the funds now invested in the charity. The rather quirkily named charity's aim combines the lifelong scientific interest of Prof. Southern in the DNA molecule, and his wish to bring an appropriate level of DNA technology to bear on producing bean varieties better able to resist the various fungal, bacterial and viral diseases which impinge on the yield of the crop. The way in which the Trust has been operating has been to identify current bean breeding programmes in Africa, and then to support these by equipping them with both the know-how, the instrumentation and the consumables needed to apply relatively simple – but still highly effective – technology to help the breeder introduce into their varieties the genes giving the necessary disease resistance, without having to deliberately infect his/her fields with the various pathogens which cause the diseases to check whether these genes are still present. The Tanzanian partner in this project is the experienced bean breeder Dr. Susan Nchimbi-Msolla, who has already released four varieties of bean, including two in 2006.

The Trust's modus operandi differs in a very fundamental way from that of most of the international aid community. Partly this is a reflection of its relatively modest size (it employs just a handful of people in the UK to run the administration and arrange for procurement and shipping of equipment and supplies to Africa); but more strongly it flows from its very “hands on” philosophy. So all of the various grant holders are on speaking terms with everyone in the Trust, from the chairman down, and these relationships are cemented by annual meetings (last year's was in Morogoro) attended by all the participants and all the relevant Trust members, including Ed Southern himself. What the Trust is trying to do is to build a level of technological self-sufficiency in modern plant breeding methods in East Africa (as well as in West Africa, centred around the black-eyed bean), so that in time the local breeders will themselves have the confidence and knowledge to persuade their own governments of the need and value of investment in plant breeding. This is, in the end, no more than a version of the oft related saw that it is better to provide a hungry man with a fishing rod than with a fish.

Dr Robert Koebner, crop science research consultant

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Sashita SASHITA was founded by Maggie Mazoleka, a Tanzanian woman who has lived, studied and worked in Edinburgh for over 17 years. I first met Maggie in 2008 and was inspired by the stories of her family and the poverty and hardship suffered by the villagers of Samuye in Tanzania East Africa where she was born and raised. In May 2008 a group of enthusiastic and driven people got together and set up this registered charity. Our immediate objective has been to raise funds to build a water well in the village of Samuye. At present there is no running water in the village or electricity. The water has to be collected by the women and children from some distance away and is often unfit for human consumption. In July of 2009 we had raised enough money to survey the land in the village and employ contractors to drill for the water. In November 2009 the well was drilled and lined. One of the problems we have encountered is that the water was found approximately 80 - 100 metres down and requires a stronger pump and therefore electricity to run it. By organising concerts, sponsored cycles, football matches and other fundraising events, we have raised a third of the £28,000 we need to install electricity to the village to power the pump and build a large enough tank to hold and store the water.

We are also focusing on our sanitation, education and healthcare. With the building of the well and the launch of our child sponsorship scheme we aim to help facilitate the education for children and many adults in the village. SASHITA aims to fully engage with the people of Samuye and help the reduction of poverty and setting up long term developments in the community.

In July 2009 and 2010 a small group of us went to Samuye to see the problems first hand. (The trips were totally self-funded). Both times we had very productive trips and, with the help of the villagers, were able to set out plans for the next five years to offer some help to the community. Lesley Lynch: Lesley.e.lynch@blueyonder.co.uk

AZAR charity Caroline Purdy-Valentine writes, “For some years I have been involved in a school building and resourcing project on the outskirts of Dodoma.

Recently, our charity in the UK, AZAR (which benefits the Tanzanian school), has partnered with the Kent Fire & Rescue Service to create a 3-day event called The Kent Event which will happen over the weekend of 24th-26th June. We should have all the info on a website to be launched very soon.

Part of this event will be The BIG GIG, a free-to-attend music festival at Mote Park in Maidstone on Sunday 26th June. We are looking for several things and I hope you might be able to put us in contact with anyone who could help. It would be great to have a Tanzanian or East

African band who were willing to donate their time. All the bands at the BIG GIG are playing for free, but are welcome to sell their cds and promotional stuff.

We are encouraging those who make crafts etc, especially (but not exclusively) from EA or with an African influence, to take up one of our stalls or concessions.

We'd love to invite anyone to come on the day, particularly Tanzanian nationals or those with an interest in Tanzania. carolinepurdyvalentine@yahoo.co.uk

Basket Case or Bright Hope? “The wind of change is blowing through this continent...” as Harold Macmillan said back in 1960. And it is just as true today. In 2011 bells will ring and fireworks explode as several African countries celebrate 50 years of independence. But how many of our fellow citizens in the UK really know (or, to be honest) care much about what is going on in Africa today? Julian Marcus is trying to bring them up to date with a talk (an open talk for the London region of the WEA) about Tanzania. In it he explores why in former colonies like Kenya and Zimbabwe the struggle for self-rule led to war, while in others like Tanzania it was peaceful, and why some states have been torn by inter-ethnic violence and some achieved unity. The talk explores the debt crisis, the impact of epidemics like HIV and endemic diseases like malaria, and sees where there are signs of hope. He examines why Africa still needs aid, and whether it merely breeds dependence. Is this the sort of talk other BTS members could give to local groups to help spread the word (and maybe gain some new members and TDT donors)? Julian can help with background notes and illustrations.

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WATER, BABIES and MAIZE MILLS - Visits to 3 TDT Projects.

Honk, Honk, Honkety, Honk (on a rising scale!) - the young minibus driver seemed to be blaring a cheerful warning to the processions of girls going to school in their startlingly white hijabs and advertising his unswerving dedication to Chelsea Football Club, whose stickers were all over the vehicle. Past ox-carts laden with coconuts, through groves of swaying palms, up steep hills with dramatic views of rice paddies below, we made our way along Pemba Island to the port of Wete. Once admitted through the port gates, we were warmly greeted by, Said Seif a young fisherman - Karibuni Fundo! He pointed and we looked across the jetty and over the turquoise sea, dotted with white sails of dhows to a line of silver sand and green trees.

My wife Ann and I were nearing the end of a tour of 40 projects of the Tanzania Development Trust, which had taken us 3,500km by road, air and now sea, from Dar through Handeni to Tanga, up into the Usambara mountains, back to Morogoro and Dodoma, up the track via Kondoa to Babati, across Serengeti to Musoma, down to Mwanza, across Lake Victoria to Bukoba and thence in a tiny plane to Kigoma and last of all to Pemba. We clambered down the slippery jetty steps, and with Said taking care of his Wazungu wazee, we were helped into the seat-less fibreglass boat. The February sun blazed down, as with an uncertain hiccough the outboard motor propelled us towards Fundo - a long low-lying island half an hour’s boat ride to the west of Pemba. Fundo Island gets no water if a special generator and pump are not running on Pemba, as is frequently the case. An excellent local NGO, Fundo Fisheries (FUFO), has been formed on Pemba to improve the lives of the local people. FUFO applied to TDT for help with installing large water storage tanks, so that the 3500 people living on the island would have some access to water

when the Pemba pump was off. We couldn’t give them as much money as they requested, but they went ahead with the project using local labour to

ferry the tanks from Pemba, dig the trenches and make the concrete bases.

Now at last we were to see Fundo Island and how the project had been realised. Next problem: it was

low tide. Very low tide. The outboard motor was switched off and tilted up and we drifted in towards Fundo. Finally when the boat beached in the shallow water, there was nothing for it but to climb over the side and wade towards the beach. ‘Watch out for the sea urchins,’ Said called out cheerfully as he strode to the shore. Behind, the tender-footed wazungu gingerly picked their way between exotic starfish, striking anemones, fearsome looking jelly fish and banks of sea urchins. Once, and not a little perforated, we arrived on shore, we were warmly welcomed by the community.

Truly this is the kind of project for which TDT was set up. The villagers on Fundo live on less than $1 per day and there is no employment apart from fishing and a small project that some of the women have to collect and dry seaweed for sale in the manufacture of soaps and cosmetics. Agriculture is very difficult because the soil is sandy and doesn’t retain moisture. The project has been extremely well implemented and we saw two of the several large tanks - not beautiful, but fit for purpose. Many thanks were expressed to TDT but the islanders were also keen that we saw another project for which they are requesting funds. Fundo has a combined Primary and Secondary School with 536 children in the Primary School and 147 in the Secondary School. Like every school (except the most favoured private institutions) in Tanzania, there is a big shortage of teachers’ accommodation, but if the problem is bad everywhere, on an offshore island like Fundo, it is desperate. So ghastly is the present accommodation see next page that some teachers try to commute from Wete, but if the sea is rough, the teachers don’t come and the children are not taught. A few camp out in what looks like a Stalinist

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prison - their beds little more than mats on sticks. their toilet a hole in the floor, the walls crumbling - nowhere to sit or mark books. So the next project is to restore this hostel and to make it habitable and welcoming: the application will be decided by the TDT Committee in May.

Tanzania’s newest region is Manyara, which has been carved out of the Western part of Arusha region. Lacking a city like Arusha, thronged with big spending Western tourists (Tourism is now Tanzania’s biggest money earner), Manyara is very much poorer and home to the Iraqw and Hadzabe peoples, amongst others. High up on an escarpment overlooking Mt Hanang, Tanzania’s third highest mountain, is the little town of Bashanet, reached by an hour’s climb on a partly tarred road out of the much larger local ‘capital’, Babati. There is no employment in Bashanet and the local people depend almost entirely on subsistence farming. Much of the housing is wattle and daub, with earth floors, and timber frames packed with a mixture of mud and cattle dung, and with thatched chimney-less roofs. There are still some houses hollowed out of hillsides with no ventilation except the front door.

For some years, the only health care in the area has been provided by the Roman Catholic Church, which built a Dispensary, later upgraded to a Health Centre and last year to a hospital. Needless to say, all local patients are treated regardless of faith or tribe. Adequate maternity care has long been a concern for the hospital. Far too many births take place at home and the loss of life in childbirth has been much higher than in many areas, partly because mothers with complications in their pregnancy present at the Health Centre/Hospital far too late, if at all. Likewise post-natal care has been inadequate, with many too few

babies screened after birth and enrolled on immunisation programmes. The upgrading of the Health Centre to a Hospital provided the opportunity also for many changes and improvements (often funded from the Irish Republic, but with encouragement also from Manyara Regional Government which now pays some of the salaries and running costs), but the Church and hospital turned to TDT for help with establishing a dedicated Mother and Child Unit. With a grant from TDT, working in partnership with the Hilden Charitable Fund, some old and depressing wards have been converted to an attractive and welcoming Mother and Child Unit, staffed by the Assistant Medical Officer, Dr Korneli, a Midwife and various assistants.

Mothers and children have their own entrance near to the pharmacy and to a flush toilet with washing facilities - this leads to a pleasant waiting room with new furniture and appropriate posters encouraging good diet, malaria protection, immunisation programmes etc. From this there are consulting rooms for the doctor and midwife, a room for ultrasound scanning, stores etc. Careful records are kept, of course, of the mothers and infants. As news of the new unit has spread, the uptake of mothers has been most encouraging and should undoubtedly lead to much lower mortality amongst mothers and peri-natal mortality in infants. The midwife has a store of insecticide-treated mosquito nets which are given free to all mothers. As well as the Mother and Child clinics in the new Unit, the hospital also runs outreach clinics at a number of stations in the local community, carrying out immunisations of babies, providing counselling and health education on nutrition, HIV and malaria prevention, boiling water and avoiding intestinal bugs etc. Irish donors have given a new Landcruiser which is adapted for carrying stretcher cases and can thus be used as an ambulance. BTS members can feel very proud and pleased to have been associated with this excellent project.

Rural Mara, on the (unfenced) western border of the great Serengeti National Park, is also a remote area of great poverty. More than 1½ hours of difficult sandy tracks from any main road, this is home to isolated villages of the Kurya people. However, it is also here that the Anglican Church is one of the main providers of development and community support.

BTS NEWSLETTER Three TDT Projects, 3 PAGE 10

The dynamic assistant co-ordinator for development is Mrs Rhobi Samwelly and she put forward to TDT the needs of women in this area. All of the people are subsistence farmers growing maize, millet and cassava. The women need to grind these before they can be made into ugali, uji and other staple foods. The old method of pounding with a giant mortar and pestle is extremely labour intensive and not particularly satisfactory with millet and cassava, both of which are more drought resistant than maize - and this is a dry area - the rain falls on the Bunda hills but not on the plain leading to Lake Victoria. So women have taken to trudging 15km through the bush, carrying a 20kg sack of their produce to get to a maize mill and then 15km back with the 20kg flour sack. There were occasions of women being attacked by leopards and also subjected by malevolent men to sexual harassment and worse.

Rhobi Samwelly proposed to TDT a partnership scheme to build maize mills in four villages, two in 2010/11 and two subsequently. The Diocese would work with the villagers to construct a small building with an appropriate heavy duty concrete floor into which would be put the supports for a static diesel grinding engine. (There is no electricity in this area). Outside would be a tank of recycling water for engine cooling. TDT’s part was to pay for the engines and installation and a kit of spare parts. Once again, we gained the enthusiastic support of the Hilden Charitable Fund, to which we are so grateful.

So it was that in January we were bumping up and down along Mara’s sandy tracks to get to the siku kuu being held in the two villages of Mang’ore and Hekwe to celebrate the grand opening of the

Posho mills. We were met by enthusiastic dancers in traditional Kurya costume and an instrumentalist with a vast ‘alpine’ horn made of calabashes which boomed away. At Mang’ore, we had some time to wait before the arrival of the DC and so to the amusement and joy of the villagers, the Wazungu joined in the dancing, heavy limbed and flat-footed though we were, in contrast to the lithe Tanzanians. The event was

covered by Tanzania’s ITV and we were astonished when we were in Dar es Salaam to hear that we had been seen on TV. At last the DC arrived and I was invited to unveil a plaque which records the involvement of BTS & TDT and then the DC cut the ribbon, the mill was cranked up and began producing maize flour. Rhobi Samwelly explained to us that each mill would be run by a committee on which women would predominate. All users would pay a small charge, and the proceeds would buy new supplies of diesel fuel (after the initial 100 litres given by the Diocese was used up), spare parts etc. If there was still a profit, it would be used to support orphans and for village improvements. Each committee had a bank account to which Mrs Samwelly was one of the required signatories. The whole organisation was impeccable. Although this is an Anglican project, the mills, are, of course, for the whole community. At the second village, Hekwe, after another jubilant opening ceremony, we were able to speak to a committee member, Mama Angelica, who said that the Posho mill would change her life and save her a 30km walk - she spoke for several of the women who expressed their very great gratitude to TDT. The Trust’s contribution (thanks to HCF) was only £3000, but it has made a vast difference, for which we can be delighted, to these rural Mara villages. Next year the Diocese would like to build two more mills with our support.

Julian Marcus, Chair TDT

BTS NEWSLETTER Books and Media PAGE 11

The Ways of the Tribe One of the many talented Tanzanians your editor met some years ago when he visited Dar es Salaam’s Village Museum was a young photographer and writer

called Gervase Tatah Mlola. Tatah now teaches history and runs a safari company in Arusha (p2p Safaris) and this remarkable book is attractively presented and scholarly. The Ways of the Tribe explores the diverse tribal cultures of north-eastern Tanzania and examines how they contribute towards our modern identity and national development. The book is published in Tanzania but should also be available in the UK in due course. Congratulations, Tatah.

(Tatah’s safari company is called p2p – People to People - and specialises in fair trade tourism. His guests have plenty of opportunities to meet Tanzanians of all backgrounds, with both traditional and modern lifestyles, as well as enjoying spectacular wildlife, countryside, mountains and beaches. Take a look at their website, www.p2psafaris.com. ) _______________________________________________________

Carvid Books BTS member David Kelly provides an invaluable resource for students of Africa though Carvid Books. Carvid have around 150 or so of books on, or related to, Africa listed on their ABE site, http://www.abebooks.co.uk/bookseller/DAVIDKELLYCARVID. In addition to the books listed on ABE, Carvid also sell by catalogue. Contact them directly by email or telephone to place an order. They accept Paypal payments or of course a sterling cheque (What will we do when they have

been phased out in the name of bank efficiency? Ed.) Their policy for direct sales (ie those not through ABE) is not to charge for packing and to charge for postage only at cost or expected cost. Telephone 01580 712968

Africa Book Centre: an appeal David Leishman writes: The Africa Book Centre is currently stock-rich, but cash-poor and if this situation isn't reversed over the next month or two, we will be forced to consider closing for good. If you value our service and want us to continue providing a very wide range of books from and about Africa, you can help by buying something from our clearance sale. Catalogues are arranged in five sections: music, language, children's, travel and bargain books. We have hundreds of genuine discounts from 30% to 70% off usual retail price and there are bargains on offer. Find the sale at: www.africabookcentre.com/acatalog/index.html Orders can be placed online at www.africabookcentre.com or if you prefer by email to africabookcentre@btconnect.com or orders@africabookcentre.com or Tel: 01273 500 650 or by post to David C. Brine, Africa Book Centre Ltd., Preston Park Business Centre, 36 Robertson Road, Brighton BN1 5NL. Telephone: +44 01273 560 474.

“Serious Explorers” on CBBC I don’t often watch daytime television, but by chance in February, found myself watching the first of an excellent BBC Children’s TV series called Serious Explorers. I was riveted, and tuned in

weekly thereafter. This “observational documentary” follows a group of eight carefully selected 12 to 15-year-old boys and girls as they embark on an expedition across Tanzania, notionally in Livingstone’s footsteps. The footage of them sailing down the coast on a mashua dhow brought back happy memories (and a tinge of seasickness). The group then trekked inland, three of the hardiest “explorers” crossing the Mbarika mountain range in the Selous, while the rest worked with tribal children to build an enclosure to fend off lions in a village. Very sadly, one of the camera crew, Anton Turner, was charged by an elephant in sight of some of the youngsters and died shortly afterwards. Production was abandoned and the screening delayed for two years. A sad end to a most interesting project. Ed.

BTS NEWSLETTER HIV Seminar Report PAGE 12

Health and HIV/Aids in Tanzania at SOAS on Thursday 3 March 2011

A well-attended seminar organised by BTS with help from the Centre of African Studies at SOAS. Basia Zaba, from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, spoke about the epidemiology of HIV in Tanzania and Mike Jennings from SOAS spoke about the history of health care, missions and the voluntary sector in Tanganyika. Full report on: www.btsociety.org

In her presentation, HIV research in the era of ART*: changing priorities in Tanzania, Prof Zaba explained that national estimates of the trends in HIV infection are still mainly based on the testing of pregnant women coming to ante-natal clinics (ANC). Since 2005, they are usually based on testing for the prevention of mother-to-child transmission (PMTCT). This may lead to biased estimates of trends if women who think they may be infected decide to go to those clinics who offer PMTCT testing. * antiretroviral therapy

Clinics that join surveillance sites later are from more remote rural areas and therefore tend to have lower infection rates. UNAIDS estimate trends separately for urban and rural clinics, then weight the results according to respective populations. Accordingly, the trend in HIV prevalence among pregnant women visiting ANC in Tanzania peaked in the early 1990s at just over 14%, falling to just over 8% in 2000 and projected to rise again and level out at just under 10%.

Data from national adult population surveys in Tanzania in 2004 and 2007 indicate lower rates, and since 2005 there has been a much sharper fall than the UNAIDS model predicted, so adult HIV prevalence is likely to be closer to 6%. By region, Iringa has the highest rate, now estimated at over 14%. Dar es Salaam and Mbeya regions also had well above average infection rates in 2004, but then fell by 2007 to around 8%. In most mainland regions rates fell in this period. In Zanzibar, infection rates are below 1%.

The percentage of men and women tested for HIV increased substantially from 2004 and 2007, from just over 20% to over 40% among women and from 20% to 30% among men. However, the percentage receiving ART or having their HIV status monitored is low, varying regionally from 14% (Shinyanga) to 55% (Arusha). Nationally, only 21% to 30% of adults who know that they are

HIV+ receive care, but the national goal is 100%.

Mike Jennings summarised his paper, Healthcare, Missions, and the rise of the 'Voluntary Sector' in Colonial Tanganyika. From the 1920s, the relationship between missions and the state was personal, not structural, and missions were competitive. By the 1930s, the lack of a formal mechanism for coordinating mission and colonial government activity in health was becoming more of an issue. In 1932, the Bishop of Masasi proposed a single organisation to represent missions with the aim of attaining a common policy. In 1934, the Tanzania Mission Council was formed, (later Christian Council of Tanzania) representing the main protestant missions. This signalled the evolution of non-state, faith-based service providers from atomised, self-interested missions to a more formal voluntary mission sector.

In 1936 the Medical Missionary Committee accepted greater control and supervision by the state and became an integral part of the health service. It was not until 1945 though that funding was provided through grants-in-aid, a realistic financing model of public-private partnership. Thus, while the state relied on the voluntary sector, the missions also relied on the state to maintain and expand their services. It was a relationship based on mutual dependency.

There are parallels with the development of NGOs in Tanzania today. The MMC wanted to be involved in planning boards “to advise on all matters relating to medical work.” Similarly NGOs insist on involvement in policy processes. Because of the importance of their role, it is difficult to exclude them. Having the voluntary sector contracted by the state aligns their interests to the state, in much the same way that the World Bank now interacts with civil society. But faith-based organisations have been a negative influence of over HIV, notably the Catholic Church’s stance on condoms. Large referral hospitals in Tanzania, Bugando and KCMC, are faith-based institutions, though they do accept funding to run ART and PMTCT programmes. Muslim organisations had been excluded from state funding in colonial days, but now receive some state financing, for example the Aga Khan hospital. Larger faith-based organisations are a part of global networks with financing. World Vision International, for example, provided $2.7billion in development funding in 2009. Valerie Leach

BTS NEWSLETTER Obituaries and Notices PAGE 13

Christine Lawrence, 1930-2011 Christine Lawrence made a massive contribution to many disadvantaged and impoverished people, particularly in Africa and Britain. Born in Wiltshire and educated at Marlborough Grammar School, she obtained secretarial skills at Roehampton Training College and then worked as a secretary, at the National Children’s Home, Cheshire from 1955 to 1960. In 1965, she went to Tanganyika to run the Mahiwa Young Farmer’s Training Centre, in southern Tanzania. This Centre had been set up by Bishop Trevor Huddleston, then the Bishop of Masasi. She made many friends in Tanzania. One of Christine’s most remarkable achievements long before Women’s Lib, was to introduce courses at the centre for girls; the college had previously been exclusively for boys. On her return to Britain in 1970, she worked for 20 years at Friends House, where she did valuable work in their financial department. She made many friends among the Quaker community. They shared the same ideals especially in supporting projects to help people in what we then called the ‘Third World’.

Following a brief return visit in 1972 to Tanzania at a farm school on the slopes of Mount Kilimanjaro, Christine became closely associated with the Britain-Tanzania Society and served as Treasurer. She also wrote articles and book reviews for Tanzanian Affairs, and organized social events. In 1993 she helped set up the Donald Chesworth Educational Trust (DOCET for short). This trust filled a gap by helping students who ran into financial difficulties at critical stages of their educational careers, and needed small grants to help them complete their studies. Some of those students were Tanzanians. Christine was a most able and efficient person. Inspired by her deep Christian faith, she touched the lives of many people and she will be very much missed.

Keith Lye

John Ruff Smith,1931-2011 John Ruff Smith died on 12 February after a long struggle with dementia. John had been a District Officer in Tanganyika between 1955 and 1960 spending time stationed at Mbeya in the Southern Highlands, and at Kasulu and Tabora in Western Provence. The six years spent in Tanganyika represented such a special time in John’s life where he made many very dear life-long friends and also met his future wife, Ann, who survives him along with their three children. Kate Damania

Baskets & other artefacts available Adrian and Carol Grey write, “We have a collection of Tanzanian woven baskets, a spear, a wheat-chaffing basket, lots of shells etc. The items belonged to Adrian’s late parents Dr. John Robertson and Inge Robertson, who were in Tanzania in the early 60s and became members of BTS. We would like to pass them on to the Society (if anyone would like them) as they would be better appreciated by somebody with a Tanzanian connection. If you would like them or know of somebody who would and who could collect them from us in Wiltshire (near Devizes) - or meet half way, depending where it is - we would be most grateful and would avoid the possibility of having to throw them away. Email at: graymooseuk@gmail.com

From Tanzania with Love John Sankey, with an eagle eye for special Valentine promotions, spotted an Asda advert in the Daily Telegraph on 11 February. “Perfect for Valentine’s Day - Extra Special Rich Tanzanian Chocolate Tarts, 2 pack” were on offer in time for the big lovefest, reduced from £3 to £2. They are described as “All butter pastry tarts with a rich Tanzanian chocolate ganache and dusted with cocoa.” (Your editor, being no foodie, had to look up ganache. In case other BTS members are unfamiliar with this term, it is a glaze or filling made by heating double cream, then pouring it over chopped dark semi-sweet chocolate. Probably not a regular on the Tanzania tea table.) Can this be real, John wondered?

Apparently yes. Askinosie Chocolate, from Springfield Missouris, USA, say they will not only treat chocolate lovers to a new taste sensation, but benefit future generations in Tanzania, as well. The new chocolate is sourced from the village of Tenende by the woman-led cocoa farmer group UWATE. It will also support the Tanzania Education Trust (TET), a portion of proceeds supporting both local farmers (who will share in the profits) and TET’s mission to build more than 3000 secondary schools for Tanzania’s children. With the farmer group UWATE and the cocoa resources of the Tenende village, the Askinosie Chocolate partnership will mark the first time a cocoa farmer group in Tanzania has directly contracted with a chocolate maker, instead of brokering the business exchange through a middleman. UWATE farmers in Tanzania will be paid more, per ton, than ever before.

BTS NEWSLETTER Back Page PAGE 14

BTS Who’s Who

President: HE Ali Hassan Mwinyi, former President of the United Republic of Tanzania Vice Presidents: Sir Andy Chande, Derek Ingram, Esther Mwaikambo, Liz Fennell, Trevor Jaggar

Useful Contacts www.btsociety.org www.tanzdevtrust.org Wiliam Fulton (Chair) 01513 367393 fultonw@gmail.com David Brewin (Editor, Tanzanian Affairs) 020 7727 1755 davidbrewin@btinternet.com Valerie Leach (Meetings & Minutes Secretary) 02083 405344 valerie.leach@gmail.com Ann Brumfit (Membership Sec) 24 Oakfield Drive, Reigate, Surrey, RH2 9NR. 01737 210532 annbrumfit@yahoo.co.uk Betty Wells (Treasurer, BTS) 01924 366180 209 Dewsbury Road, Wakefield, West Yorks, WF2 9BZ. b.wells@btinternet.com Julian Marcus (Chair, TDT) 02086 685230 TDT1@O2.co.uk Tim Watkins-Idle (Website Editor) timwatkinsidle@gmail.com Richard Barton-Wood (Newsletter Editor) abbeygarth@hotmail.com BTS Tanzania Chapter contacts: Hon. Paul Rupia (Chair) +255 713 605151 amb.rupia@gmail.com Cuthbert Kimambo (Vice Chair) kimambo@ipi.udsm.ac.tz Antony Shaw (Hon. Sec.) +255 684 355867 PO Box 105742, Dar es Salaam antony@creocomm.net BTS Scottish Group contacts: Ann Burgess annpatriciaburgess@yahoo.co.uk Ralph Ibbott 01875 818658

KARIBUNI We welcome the following new members

who have joined since our last issue. Thanks to those of you who told us how you

became involved with BTS & Tanzania Mr Thomas Usborne, London Mr Antony Shaw, Dar es Salaam Ms Elizabeth Prior, London Drs Douglas & Susan Wilson, St Andrews, Guernsey Mr Richard & Mrs Susan Denyer, Greenwich, London Mrs Jane Firth, Sevenoaks, Kent I have been volunteering for VEPK since 2009, conducting seminars for teachers at pre-primary level, and Standards 1 & 2: story-telling, handwriting and maths, including the making of resources Mr Robin and Mrs Patrizia Cooke-Hurle, London Dr Keith Fenwick, Stockport, Cheshire Mrs Veronica Ziegler, Beaminster, Dorset My connection with Tanzania is the too-brief memory of warm people and unique places; this connects with today's desire to relearn, decades later, the beautiful country and continent, and to strive to understand how and why development happens. Mr Frank Mtyama, Bradford, W Yorks Student Mr Neil Mathers, Edinburgh, Scotland Worked in Songea 2002-4 for VSO as prog. co-ordinator for HIV/AIDS organisation. Founded Children of Songea Trust, offering financial and technical help to community organisations to improve lives of children affected by poverty and HIV/AIDS in Songea. Mr Tindwa Shabani, Edinburgh, Scotland Ms Aika Maletnlema, Battersea, London Mr Roy Medcalf, Falmouth, Cornwall Mr Shrenik Davda, Esher, Surrey Mrs Jean Jeffery, Petersfield, Hants Ms Helen Dancer, Hove, Sussex Mr Emmanuel Msengi, Bradford, W Yorks Student Mr Moris Linuma, Bradford, W Yorks ,Student Mr James and Mrs Kathryn McNicoll, Oxford Kathryn was born in Tanzania and has maintained an interest in the country. Her father trained the marathon runner John Stephen Akhwari (google him!). We are hoping to set up a school link with Mbulu in the near future. Photo, left: The return of Chief Mkwawa's skull to Tangangika in the mid 1950s. One of the historic photos recently released by the UK National Archives collection, see page 3. Next Newsletter deadline: 1 December 2010 Send to Richard Barton-Wood, 15 Church Street, Wymondham, Norfolk NR18 0PH. Tel: 01953 600800. abbeygarth@hotmail.com.